Welcome to the Metadata SIG

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Welcome to the Metadata SIG

• Agenda
• 500 room is open
• 530 round table intro
• 600 Todd's presentation
• 630 break
• 645 Future direction
• 730 close (room is available until 800)

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IRMAC MetadataSpecial Interest group
Todd Moore Project Manager - Metadata
Management Royal Bank of Canada
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Presentation Outline

• Defining Metadata
• Types of Metadata
• The Metadata Repository
• Metadata Challenges

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What is Metadata?

• Data About Data

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Defining of Metadata

• Anne Marie Smith It is the collection of
  information about the data collected in an
  application or database. Examples of meta data
  include definition of the data element, business
  names of the element, systems abbreviations for
  that element, the data type (alphanumeric,
  decimal, etc...) and size of the element, source
  location, etc... All of these pieces of meta data
  are of interest to various members of the
  organization's community some are of interest
  only to certain IS staff members, while other
  pieces would be very useful for business people
  attempting to navigate through the corporate Data
  Warehouse.

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Defining Metadata

• Rob Seiner Meta data is not really new. It was
  around long before you and I arrived in this
  industry. Meta data will be around long after we
  go to that great repository in the sky. But it
  was not until the past ten years, maybe much
  less, that the importance of managing meta data
  became apparent. This increase in importance has
  been a result of companies integrating the vast
  number of information systems and databases,
  creating decision support environments, and
  paying attention to managing data as a valued
  corporate asset.

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Defining Metadata

• Metadata is data that describes the definition,
  control, usage and treatment of data within a
  system, application or environment.

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What is Metadata?

• Metadata is everywhere.
• It helps you understand the world around you.
• Without it you are lost
• Metadata exists withoutus use of a computer

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Metadata Without a Computer
Application for Employment
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Last Name
First Name
Initials
Present Address Street, apt.
City
Province
Postal Code
Permanent Address (leave blank f same as present
address)
City
Province
Postal Code
Telephone Residence
Other
Business
TYPE OF WORK OR POSITION APPLIED FOR
1.
2.
Salary expectations
Date Available
Type of employment sought
Full Time
Casual/Contract
Regular Part-Time
Summer
Co-op
Internship
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Metadata Without a Computer
Application for Employment
1.
2.
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Metadata - A Necessity of Life?

• Everybody uses Metadata every day
• It is used to describe the data that we process
  throughout our daily activities
• Its there
• Its used
• Nobody realizes they need it until its not
  there
• then they go hunting for it
• Then along comes the computer

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Never Used Metadata?

• Everybody uses Metadata! Everybody!
• Metadata usually exists in the minds of the
  users/developers
• People have made livings being metadata
  repositories.

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What is Metadata?The Difference Between Data and
Metadata
METADATA
DATA
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Types of Metadata

• Logical Metadata
• Data Models
• Technical Metadata
• Imported into the repository via scanners
• Operational Metadata
• Job schedules, usage stats, views, queries, etc.
• Business Metadata
• Entered by business people
• Generated Metadata
• Gleaned from the metadata already in the
  repository

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Metadata Repositories

• CA Advantage Repository
• Data Advantage Group Metacenter
• Informatica Powercenter with Metadata Exchange
  (Mx2)
• Ascential Metastage
• ASG Rochade
• Teradata Metadata Services

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Metadata Repositories

• A metadata repository is required in every
  organization.
• You can buy it.
• You can build it.
• Or
• You can rely on people to be your metadata
  repository.

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Repository Environment
Mainframe
Advantage Repository for OS390 (DB2)
TSO Interface Batch loads, Reports
Interfaces ETI ER/Win
Upload
User with 3rd party development tools ERWin ETI
EDA/SQL Focus
Intranet Server
End User A/R Interface Internet Explorer
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Payback

• Understanding
• What does the data mean?
• Legacy Blueprinting
• Where is your data?
• Distribution to the masses
• Using web technology
• Impact Analysis across the enterprise
• How long does it take?
• Standards publication
• Security
• Authorized user may view definitions

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Metadata Challenges

• Repositories have a tough time keeping up to date
• Maintenance
• Tools do not integrate well
• The masses do not understand metadata
• Resources
• Cost

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Summary

• Develop a metadata strategy as a part of your
  data management strategy.
• Get a repository.
• Make sure the metadata gets to the people who
  need it.
• Maintain the metadata.

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Reminder
Things refuse to be unmanaged long. -
RALPH WALDO EMERSON